Of bloodlines and wills
by TheAngelOnYourRight
Summary: Hermione Granger is a muggleborn, or so she thought. The reading of two wills will change her world as she knows it. Perhaps change is what she needs One Shot unedited.
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't sure if I was going to post this as Hermione didn't want to cooperate but here it is none the less.

A/n I own not the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

A woman with wild chestnut curls pushed through the pain one final time, her mother had warned her of the risks of doing this alone but she just couldn't chance more people knowing where she had planned to hide the child. She knew he was coming for her, for her and her family, for her friends, for them all in reality. He could take them as long as the child survived. She didn't care that the circumstances around her conception had been less than desirable, a simple break up fling for her and a revenge driven affair for the father. No she loved that child much more than she had ever thought it possible to love before in her life and so she had it set in place, humanoid highly intelligent gollums for parents, a home, a backstory and her legacy would live on even if only she knew this. She cradled the child and preformed the necessary spells to sever the cord and clean the child ensuring its health.

"I love you my little Hermione," she whispered softly to her daughter. "Mummy loves you, I'm sure your father would too, all he has ever wanted was somebody to love. You are so loved." She nursed the baby but once befor returning to face her fate.

Hermione sat quietly at her desk in the department of mysteries. Two years had passed since the end of the war and though she tried to stay the same girl she had been changed. She returned to Hogwarts alone as Harry and Ron had chosen to pursue their Auror training and while others had done it that wasn't the most conductive way to nurture an already volatile relationship by christmas she and Ron had called the whole thing off. Harry and Ginny seemed to be fairing slightly better but she thought it was only because Gin was gone so often with the Harpies. She and her desk mate Jennifer had successfully made the first veil retrieval bringing back Harry's godfather Sirius Black, over six months ago and since then she had been working to re-establish the time room. Jennifer however had taken a particular interest in the returned Maurader and spent most of her time conducting research on the after effects of the veil. At least that was the going joke between the two girls. She was happy to see Sirius with a bright spot in his leg upon his return. She was however pulled from her reverie when she received an inter ministry memo, they usually had much better aim but this one had crashed right into her hair.

"Granger, you ought to pay more attention." She heard Adrian Pucey call from down the hall.

"Whatever," she mumbled, opening the letter.

"Well, what is it love?" Jennifer asked looking up over the divide between their work stations.

"I'm being summoned to the department of Magical Bloodlines, something about a will contestment and two sealed wills. " she scrunched up her face.

"You look like Crooks, when you do that Kitten." Sirius laughed as he walked passed her over to Jenn planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "Time for lunch, I'll bring her back this time Hermione. I promise. "

" I doubt that very much," she smirked waving them off before gathering her things and heading up to the designated floor.

She smiled at Susan Bones as she entered the doors.

"Oh good you got my memo, the wards in your department always do crazy things with our memos but they are faster than sending an owl to your flat. " she smiled meeting her and steering her towards an empty office. Just before she arrived to the room someone else burst through the doors, in dirty sweaty Auror robes she spotted the usually perfectly coiffed and poised Draco Malfoy.

"Just one moment Mr Malfoy I'll call you in when we are ready. " Susan said.

"Just tell me you found her?" He interupted as Susan pushed Hermione forward.

"We believe so, Draco." Susan said shutting the door.

"What was that about?" She asked Susan knowing the answer would be beyond her ability to explain, bloodlines and wills were becoming as secretive as her own.

"All in due time, first I need a small sample of your blood in the cauldron on the left please." Susan had become more professional and less the girl she had butter beers with on Saturdays while the boys chatted about quidditch. Hermione nodded and drew her wand with a quick slicing charm she dropped the red liquid from her index finger into the cauldron it bubbled than turned pink.

"Hermione I think you should sit." Susan said motioning to a chair as Hermione closed the cut.

"Why do I feel as if I'm not going to like what you are going to say?"

"You probably won't." Susan sighed. "Let's start with this cauldron before we do the one on the right. " Hermione nodded. " You know that with the two wars things were lost and misplaced and people tampered with files on both sides, making people and things disappear. It seems that the last will and testaments of the McKinnon family had been placed under enchantment until such a time as the death eaters and Tom Riddle had been defeated, for the last two years we have been researching where to start looking for the heir to the house as it had seemed they were all wiped out in October 1981. When you and Jennifer brought Sirius back we spoke to him as it was the understanding of some older members of the order that he and the youngest daughter Marlene had been an item. However Sirius told us they had broken things off shortly before James and Lily's marriage in June 1979 the last time he had seen her before her untimely end was in March 1980 and she smelled of breast milk and fear. Animagus thing I suppose." Hermione looked puzzled.

"You are telling me this why? My birthday is September 19th 1979. My parents are muggles they are currently housed in St Mungos." She was relaying this somewhat for Susan but mostly to figure it out herself.

"Actually we did the calculations from data we had when you borrowed the time turner, you were born March 11th 1980. The potion confirmed that you are the last known heir of house McKinnon. Your mother is Marlene. " she let Hermionr take it in for a moment but before the girl could speak she began again. "The reason you couldn't remove the oblivate charm from your parents was because of all the other magic coursing through them. Marlene created them they are highly functioning gollums she embedded them with the characteristics and emotions she would have shown towards you had she been able to raise you herself. Brilliant witch if you think of it a small wonder you are as talented as you are. "

"My father, who is my father?" Hermione was on edge was her desk partner dating her father how incredibly awkward or worse was it a death eater who had raped her. Horrible scenarios rushed through her head.

"I think you should drop some blood in the cauldron on the right then read the will. After we shall ask Mr Malfoy to join us. "Her friend Susan who had peaked out during the explination had disappeared again dissapointing Hermione. She wouldn't like the answer of that she was sure. She did as she was asked however and sealed the cut again before Susan handed her a roll of sealed parchment.

"Go ahead then, only the heir of house McKinnon can open it." Susan encourage after a few moments. Hermione's hands trembled as she broke the seal and and a smaller parchment fell out of the scroll, she picked it up and held it a moment before reading it.

My dearest Hermione,

Should you recieve this letter it means that my arthimancy calculations were correct and you are the last of the McKinnon line, while we are not pure we are noble and ancient, prideful and surviving true Gryffindors, which I hope you are too. It also means that I never had the chance to retrieve you from the care of my gollums. I am so sorry to have had to leave you in the first place and falsify all your records but it was unsafe for you in any world to be who you truly are, a child of both sides. Your father for all his faults, was a kind man to me while we were together and you should know it was I who broke his heart when I told him we couldn't be together without risking both our lives. I won't romanticize our affair it was just that a brief moment in the grand scheme but it gave me you. Something that brought me hope. I do hope you have done amazing things even if the only one was survive you will have done both of us proud.

Your father knows not that I had you, so please if he is still among the living don't hold it against him. Severus Snape wanted nothing but to be loved and I do believe the only person he could have truly loved after Lily would be you. Forgive him his misguided choices he only ever wanted to belong somewhere, the death eaters gave him that when no one else would. He was intelligent and driven. I hope these are things you received from him.

You are now the sole heir of the McKinnon house, serve it well my darling.

Your loving mother

Marlene McKinnon

Hermione's jaw was slack as she looked up to Susan.

"Snape? I'm a Snape?" She asked still in shock. Susan nodded.

"Also the heir of house Prince, and Severus Snapes estate save a few items to go to his godson. The potion on the right confirmed it. Because of the timing between your birth and the break up between your mother and Sirius we needed a blood confirmation but you are indeed his daughter. Would you like to go over the McKinnon will with us or the goblins? If you chose the later may we invite Mr Malfoy in the rest of the meeting concerns him as well. " Hermione nodded signalling she'd prefer the goblins and her mother's estate resolved at a later time. Susan opened the door and notioned for Draco to join them.

"Granger?" He asked puzzled sitting in the chair pulled beside hers.

"It's Snape, I guess or perhaps McKinnon, my father didn't know about me. " she corrected.

Draco shook his head, "He found out but it was too late, it was my fault he couldn't take you and run he had already promised my mother my protection and he couldn't save us both. I'm sorry Hermione I stole what time you could have had with him. Add it to the long list of my misdeeds towards you. "

At first Hermione thought he was being his usual prat like self then her eyes met his and her sharp witted retort died in her tongue. He had made amends with Harry but not Ron and she had refused to believe the letter she had received asking for forgiveness, but there in the board room his eyes were something she rarely saw on him, genuine.

"We don't know if he would have acknowledged me, he was not my biggest fan." She told Draco. "Perhaps we can discuss your opinion on my father's live for me after Susan finishes with us." Draco nodded.

"Right then, Hermione can you?" Susan passed her the next scroll. "Same as the last one."

"Here in is the last will and testament of, Severus Snape, to my daughter Hermione Granger, should I have not had the chance to publicly recognize you I first bequeath you my most sincere appoligies, you have made me proud and envious, continue to do so with your achievements. All matters of house Prince are yours including all wealth and properties. All my possessions and the property at spinner's end save what I have left my godson are yours as well. You will find in my vault at Gringotts a more detailed letter for you.

To Draco Malfoy, I clear you of your life debt pledged to me after the night of Albus Dumbledore's death, I also leave you the second copy of my grimoire, the first shall be left to my daughter. I leave you the rights to the potions which you apprenticed on while in hiding and all items in my trunk at Hogwarts. I also enturst you with my daughter, do not fail me Draco keep her safe." Her voice had choked a couple of places and a single tear rolled down her cheek Draco wiped it with a silk handkerchief. She smiles tightly at him. "I absolve you of the last bit Draco. You don't have to care for my safety."

"I do, he tasked me with it long before the will." Draco committed "He wouldn't tell me who you were, just that he had found out he had a daughter and that when the time came I was to ensure her safety at all costs if he could not. I asked him who often but he would never say that my knowing alone would be a safety risk. "

"He does for other reasons as well, reasons that will answer your initial reason for seeking us out Mr Malfoy you aren't going to like the answer as there is no way out of it except death." Susan replied.

"Oh Merlin what now?" Hermione sigh, Draco took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I came to find a way out of my betrothal to Astoria Greengrass, only to find out it hadn't been validated because they were waiting to see if there would be a female Prince this generation." Draco told her delicately.

"It seems Hermione's grandmother was to wed your grandfather before she ran off with the muggle Tobias Snape. Needless to say the parents were furious and wrote and iron clad betrothal that the next female Peince decendant of magical ability would wed the next Malfoy heir. It was nullified the last generation due to two male heirs but you both fit the contract, due to it being a blood vow there is really no way around it. I'm sorry Hermione perhaps you should start with a butter beer to talk things over." With that Susan left the office before she could be on the recieving end of a famous Hermione hex.

Draco turned to her taking her in for a moment the subtlest were there she had his eye shape, his quick wit and dry sense of humour, his drive and his ambition, from what he'd heard either of her parents could have boasted higher than average NEWT marks.

"Why poor me? Why not sorry Draco?" She interupted his musing.

"Two reasons, one I grew up knowing I would not marry for love, two you are clearly getting the short end of the wand. You get a former death eater people hate. I get the beautiful, crusader who is a war heroine and a genius to boot. Poor you."

"You aren't so horrible, you head up a special task force at 20 you had amazing NEWTs and don't tell me you don't notice the way witches swoon for you."she argued.

"I try not too. Most just want to tame the bad boy or a key to the Gringotts account. " he shrugged.

"I have my own apparently, plenty at that. I would like to know more about my father and if we are undeniably out of options best you start wooing me now as it may take awhile. " she cracked a smile and a small laugh at him after.

"I have elf made wine and perhaps we could stop for some take away if you'd like to come to my flat when you are done work. We could discuss our options and I can help you with the legal side of the wills. " he offered befor getting up and holding his hand out for her.

"I have to get to Gringotts now but yes. I'll meet you in the atrium at 5 pm. " she told him as they walked out towards the lifts. As they went to board separate ones he looked over to her and smiled.

"I'm glad it's you Hermione."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N : for you my lovely reviewers. I'll work at this slowly. I hadn't planned on this being a multi chapter fic but you have convinced me to go ahead and add a few. Hope you continue to enjoy.

Hermione walked slowly out of Gringotts she wore two signet rings on her right hand nothing large and bulky like Harry's or Draco's but light and feminine, ornate but still sleek. McKinnon on her pinkie and Prince on ring finger, she was no longer Hermione Granger crusader of muggleborn and creature rights, muggleborn poster child, she would be considered, even by the stodgier purebloods, a halfblood some would argue she tipped closer to the pureblood side of things but the truth of the matter was the McKinnon line was always adding fresh blood by way of marrying muggles. She now had more galleons and properties than she knew what to do with. While it seemed her father's line had written his mother and himself off they had made allowances for any child of his begotten from a woman with magical blood and so she was no recognized for the time being as a Prince.

She had expected the goblins to be dissapointed to loose the vaults but they were quiet pleased to once again be able to profit from vaults that would otherwise be sitting idle with no head of house to make investment decisions. She had informed them she would return once she had sought council on their different options for investments. Thanking them for their aid she packed up the parchments and the letter from her father's vault and headed out to the wizarding world again.

She needed Harry, he had been here once certainly different circumstances but still similar in that he hadn't known the power his heritage held and the responsibility he would take on. Her friend, oh god, her friend what would they think. First off she wasn't who she had thought she was, two she was his daughter, Severus Snape, the greasy old dungeon bat as they had once called him was her father. Ron. Heavens she was in for it. He would never forgive her this, something she had no control over, nevermind the stupid betrothal she had been born into. She needed to find him. Both of them, Harry surely was at the ministry but Ron had dropped the aurors just weeks prior to help George with the shop.

She made a right from Gringotts and walked purposefully towards the loudest building on the block. She had to beat the rumour mill to Ron, Harry well Harry would understand that you had no control over family but Ronald seemed to pick apart any fault he could find its why they had parted ways as a couple. You could see so many more faults when you romanticized a person and they didn't live up to that image. She was almost in a sprint when she arrive.

"Slow down Hermione," George chortled as she scanned the store for Ron.

"Need Ron." She panted out, he pointed to the back room and she nodded and headed back as he continued on to help some young boys looking at puking pastels. "Ron," she said cautiously as she entered the back room. He was packaging some ton tongue toffee.

"Hey Mione," he greeted with a smile. "Just give me a second to finish this box." She nodded he was happy and she was going to ruin it.

"Ronald, maybe you should sit." She said. "I - well I've had an interesting day and I want you to hear it from me because I'm sure it's leaked out of the ministry by now."

"Did you get sacked? What did you do?" He asked shocked as he sat.

"Mi, Ron, George said you were both back here." Harry came through the back door and Hermione turned and put a locking and silencing charm on the room.

"Hey Harry, Hermione got sacked. " Ron said as he slid a rolling chair towards Harry.

"I have not been sacked, keep it up and I'll give them a reason to!" She huffed. " I was called to the department of blood lines and heritage this morning. It seems they found some misplaced wills that needed sorting in order to take care of betrothal papers. "

"Why would they need you then you're muggleborn?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy was called there this morning too." Harry mumbled cocking an eyebrow.

"I apparently am not as muggleborn as I was raised to believe, it is a long story but it seems that my mother was an order member and she was an undesirable. Her whole family was wiped out but before they were she hid me in the muggle world with gollums imbibed with her magic to care for me. I am the last heir of house McKinnon. My mother is Marlene." Both boys sat in shock then Harry pipped up.

"Sirius?" He asked hopeful for a god sister she shook her head sadly.

"You'll want to keep an open mind for this one." She said softly. "Ronald please keep in mind, we cannot choose our family." Both boys nodded. "Snape. Hermione Lily Snape. My mother is Marlene McKinnon my father is Severus Snape. " with that the world broke out in laughter and yelling and tears from the three friends. Harry couldn't believe his ears, Ron was mad but surprisingly not at Hermione but at the irresponsibility of a man who had passed away without having had the chance to reach out to his daughter, she cried as the boys carried on. She cried for the first time that day for the parents she hadn't known for the creatures that had raised her in her mother's absence for the father who made so many wrong choices but had not been able to correct the ones he had wanted too. When the boys noticed her sobbing they stopped their antics and held her between them.

"Hermione it's okay. I'm sorry I laughed, I just, well, it's hard to believe, you really aren't pulling one over on is are you?" She shook her head and he gave her a squeeze.

"Jeeze, Hermione his loss if he didn't want a genius for a daughter, he always was a greasy git. " Ron said trying to lift her spirits.

"He.. He didn't know till he had promised to protect Malfoy. He took an unbreakable vow and he couldn't save both of us. To have been seen saving a mud blood would have been just as bad if not worse than admitting he had a child with Marlene McKinnon to Voldemort. God that's not even the worst of it. " she sighed. "I have to marry Malfoy. It seems Granny Prince refused Abraxas and now I have the task of filling her place and marrying a Malfoy."

"He was trying to get out it that's why he was there." Harry said. "He left the department early today. he knew it was you and was trying to get out of it I heard him talking about it to one of the older guys. "

"Not me his betrothal to Astoria Greengrass. It was our betrothal that got him out of that one seems when his father filed it it wasn't approved because of the magic surrounding the Prince/Malfoy betrothal. Which Susan has informed us is ironclad no loopholes except death. I have to meet with him shortly actually to go over how we are going to figure this out. He was actually quite kind about it. More concerned about me. I was pleasantly surprised. " she stated pulling out from both boys embraces.

"He will be surprised when I'm done with him" Ron growled. "You're too good for him Mione. "

"He said the same thing. " she said trying to calm Ron down. "It's not like we have to get married tomorrow. Look it will be an adjustment for everyone. I just wanted you to hear it from me first. If you'll excuse me I have a letter from my father all but burning a hole in my pocket and a date to keep. I'll owl you later tonight." She pecked them both on the cheek and left as quickly as she had arrived.

Hermione took her things to her flat and spread the papers out on her desk. She had reviewed them all except the letter from Severus. She gingerly opened the wax seal on the envelope that held her name, taking a deep breath she cracked it open and removed the piece of parchment from within it. This one was not tear stained like the one from her mother, it held a penmanship she had seen for six years at Hogwarts on papers and exams.

My dearest daughter,

Should you be reading this, I have failed you a final time. Please understand it was not until the department of mysteries that I knew for certain you were my flesh and blood by the time I had decided to reveal to you that your parents were magical creatures it was too late Narcissa had approached me to save Draco and her sister had trapped me into an unbreakable vow. Know that had I been able to retrieve you and flee I would have.

I must ask forgiveness for my misguided attempt to ensure your safety should anyone find out you were mine. I was unjustifiably cruel to you in the last few years to compensate for the love I held in my heart for the child I could not care for.

You are my greatest accomplishment and my redemption, while I cannot take credit for any part of you, you hold the only good parts of me. It has been a privilege to watch you grow into a beautiful accomplished young lady.

You must know that your mother and I were nothing more than a lust filled affair, she sought comfort and I took the opportunity to seek revenge on a tormentor by bedding the girl who held his heart. This doesn't discount any love we both held for you.

You shall be the pride of House of Prince and a shining reflection of house McKinnon. By now you must know of the betrothal between the Malfoy house and the Prince house, I have tried multiple times with Lucius to dissolve it unfortunately we have been unsuccessful, Draco will care for you. You have been his weak point for some time, first as a rival then as the forbidden fruit. He is the most I can hope for you. A man who would willing lie his life down for my daughter. I can only assume he has made it through the war as well.

Should you choose to forgive me and wish to talk you'll find my portrait in the library at my home in Spinner's End.

Remorsefully yours

Severus Snape

Your father.

The tears staining the page were her's. She had to read the note at least twice as it seemed so out of character for the sullen man who had taught her. She realizes this would have been the father she would have known a man who expected the best from her but adored her without fail. She folded the paper back into the envelope and slid it into her beaded bag, she needed to meet with Draco in less than twenty minutes, she freshened up collected her papers and headed back to the ministry.


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: I rewrote this with 4 different scenarios over the last 9 days this was the only one I was some what happy with. I'm sorry it ends where it does and I will try to have the next part up sooner. Thank you for all the reviews and follows. You've all turned a one shot into a something.

Hermione stepped out of the floo network and into a media circus at the atrium people were calling her left and right. She started by telling them she had no comment and to mind their own business. She was staring to get more frantic when she realized there was no way around them or through them. It wasn't until she heard a voice from the other side of the crowd she let the panic slide off her but it was quickly replaced with another sort of fear when she linked who the voice belonged too.

"Get back! Leave the girl alone, need I remind you she is a ministry official and any further pursuit of her will lead to charges, ones I will ensure are carried out to the letter of the law. " Sirius Black's voice carried across the crowd and struck fear in many reporters. He had more than half the reporters scurrying back to where they came from.

"Mr Black." Came a voice Hermione knew all too well.

"It's Auror Black actually or perhaps you'd prefer Lord Black. " he reminded her as he closed the distance between himself and Hermione. "Now my warning extended to you as well. Please let us pass. "

"Just one question, are you upset that Ms Granger is not your daughter?" Rita Skeeter smirked hoping for an outlandish answer.

"Beyond measure, but that is no ones fault but my own for sending her mother away and into the arms of another man. Now leave her be." Sirius let the last sentence roar and directed Hermione towards his office in the Auror department. Hermione started to open her mouth to say something.

"Not a word until we are in my office." Sirius shared an office with Harry whom she knew was gone for the day already. He shut the door and cast a silencing charm. "There are ears everywhere Hermione you should know that by now."

"Sorry, thank you for back there, I'll just floo from here I understand you probably don't want to see me right now. " She stated as she turned to leave.

"The only one I don't want to see is myself and perhaps your father." Sirius chuckled at the thought of referring to Snivellus as the father of this beautiful girl. "I meant what I told her by the way, it is my fault I'm not your father. I sent Marlene away when things started getting rough, I saw how distracted James was when we were out on missions and how he worried for Lily and I couldn't afford to be distracted if he was. I was young and stupid and figured pushing her away was easier than losing her or dieing myself. I thought when it was over we could just pick back up but she went and put herself out there and drew attention to her intelligence then denied Voldemort when he asked her to deflect from the order." Hermione watched silently as Sirius rubbed his hand across his face as he thought back to his actions with Marlene. " You would have made me the proudest father and as much as it pains me to say anything nice about Sni-Snape he would be extremely proud and most probably rub the fact you were his child as oppose to mine in my face as many times as possible at every oppurtinity he got."

"Did you know she had a child?" Hermione asked, Sirius nodded. "Did you ever wonder what became of that child?"

"I assumed she had kept the child, like I told Amelia's niece, I had only seen her the once after you were born and she still smelled of baby. Dog thing you know." He said pointing to his nose. "We avoided each other after the break-up. It was too hard on our friends, not neat like you and Ron made it."

"Harry made it neat, had it been up to Ron it would have been messy and horrible, he has lost enough we couldn't do that to him. If you had known she had hidden me would you have looked for me even without me being yours?" Hermione asked again, her need for answers outweighing her pride.

"Yes, and had I found you I would have kept you weather or not you were Snape's. You are part of her and when Dumbledore announced the massacre of the McKinnon family it was the the first part of my plans for the future. We can't go back and change things though my kitten, the best we can do is learn from the past and ensure we never forget the sacrifices made by those who are gone."

"I.. I'm sorry. I feel like I'm 6 years old and my goldfish died again. I must sound ridiculous." Hermione knew she was oddly out of character almost as if she was going through the motions but not feeling. Sirius knew that's what she was feeling it had bee the way he felt seeing James on the floor and Lily's body crumpled in Harry's nursery. He pulled her to his chest.

"I'll be your father Hermione. I will be your dad. I can't be Richard and I can't be Severus but I can be a parental figure, I can be your safe place to land." As the words left his mouth she broken down, the loss of her parents gollums or not, the shaken state from the press circus, the realization that she, like her best friend Harry, was a war orphan, the fact that she'd never know her parents really, the tears had fallen for all of those emotions as Sirius consoled her. "There, there my kitten, you've got me and your friends we will see you through." He said softly as her sobs lightened. "Now we can deal with the fallout of the press later but you seemed to have been going somewhere earlier."

"Merlin. I was supposed to meet Malfoy, yes incase you hadn't heard we're betrothed, apparently grandmother Snape skipped out on her promise to Abraxas and so here I am stuck to Draco." she chuckled maniacally. "What am I going to do?"

"You're going to meet your fiancé and leave the loop hole finding to Daddy." He smirked kissing her forehead. " plus I get to intimidate him as your pseudo father."

"Are you sure you want me as a daughter?" Hermione asked, he nodded.

" Of course, you are any mans dream child, a beautiful genius." He assured her. " Now off you go."

She smiled at him squeezed him once more and she ran down to the atrium in search of Draco. When he was alone he unfolded the parchment in his pocket once more, Susan Bones had given it to him that morning when he has supplied them with his blood. It had been from Marlene pleasing for forgiveness and begging for him to care for her child if her father was not there to do it. She would be his only daughter, Harry his only son, the veil had taken his ability to have an heir of his own and while Jennifer hadn't cared, he had been dissapointed but now he had one of each and two children he couldn't have been more proud of. Sirius would make it up to Marlene for driving her away and into that greasy git's arms by caring for the child she had only held for a short time and the childish side of him would get the last stab in to that stupid man who couldn't even tell his flesh and blood sat I front of him for six years, it would be him that her children called grandfather.

Hermione had cast a quick notice me not charm over herself before entering the atrium. She searched for the platinum blonde of Draco Malfoy for less than 30 seconds before spotting him lurking by the fire places trying not to draw attention to himself. She made her way over to him tapping him on the shoulder and lifting the charm.

"We had better go quickly, news about my true paternity is out." Hermione told him.

"Give me your hand," he told her extending his to her with a sympathetic smile her pulled her through the nearest floo before anyone was close enough to speak to them.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco righted them as they stepped through the floo connection into what seemed to be a waiting room. Draco tapped his wand to the panel and a lift door opened,"This way." He instructed leading her by the hand into the lift.

"You're in my neighbourhood," she said softly realizing this was the building across from her brownstone.

"Yes I've seen you jogging on the weekend. You didn't answer my owl when I sent it so I haven't pushed further. Figured I'd done enough damage over the years. Plus Harry swore he'd hex me and have me removed from the service should I try to reach out further than the letter. " he said as the lift jerked to a halt.

"Sorry he has this brother complex and I was ready to forgive you." She offered as he opened the grate and they stepped off and into his entry way.

"You are now ?" He questioned as he adjusted the wards to let her in.

"Jury is still out. I don't know if I remember how to feel anymore." She told him honestly.

"You've had quite the day. We don't have to do this," he offered, while taking her cloak and bag.

"We can skip the Severus part, woo me Malfoy, make me forget my day," she instructed as he led her to his sitting room. It was done in warm wood tones in the furniture with navy walls, she could curl up on the large leather couch and read for hours. It seemed that's what he did there too, a fire place and bookshelves lined the east wall, the North wall boasted a bay picture window and the western wall lead towards what she assumed was the rest of his flat.

"Sit, peruse, read, I'll get the wine." He left towards the kitchen. "I ran over for take away before I came to meet you. I hope that's okay."

"Mmhmm that's fine," she said as she inspected the tomes on the middle shelf. She pulled down two and placed them on his side table and curled into the corner cushion. He had a nice mix muggle and wizarding texts. He walked in with two wine glasses and floating plates behind him. He placed them down on the coffee table and pointed the plates to do the same. "But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" She quoted from a book on Albert Camus she had been flipping through.

"Perhaps, In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer, is more fitting for you. It is how I have always seen you." He handed her the glass of wine and she took a long sip.

"How is that? Your winter or your summer."

"My summer, definitely summer." He told her hiding a slight blush behind his wine.

"I know my father told me I was your forbidden fruit." She laughed, for the first time that day it was a genuine honest laugh.

"Lovely, big mouthed godfather." He mumbled. "Well I suppose the cat is out of the bag then, I have found you to be a lovely individual for quite some time even when I really should not have. It really wasn't so hard on me that you were Prince I was set to wed. "

"Mm yes that. Sirius offered to see if there was away we could slip out of that without putting it on our decendants I don't expect him to find anything but it was nice of him to offer." Hermione said playing with the rim of her wine glass. "We are veering back to the forbidden topics again. Tell me about your task force." She instructed putting her glass down and digging in to the plate he had brought for her. He explained how after training he and Harry had moved passed their rivalry and come up with the idea of dark wizard may now be trying to infiltrate the muggle world selling dark artifacts to unsuspecting buyers and trying to pass potions off as miracle cures and of course the random stray pureblood supremacist. They specialized in finding roaming death eaters and used some of tge Malfoy contacts and secrets to keep tabs on suspicious characters. It was more than just regulation Auror stuff, they were the muggle polices magical liaison.

"I know you can't tell me about your work" he said as they both placed their plates on the side table again.

" I can tell you about things that are public knowledge. I work in the death chamber, I'm still studying the veil. Sort of anyway, I've started on rebuilding time turners. Safer ones anyway. Ones that would allow aurors to.. Ouch" she paused while stretching it had been a long eventful day and it seemed her body had decided now was a good time to bunch and pull and bind.

"Come here I'll rub your neck you've probably given yourself a tension knot." She turned and and positioned herself behind him as if it were their most natural pose in the world on just another Friday evening. He began to rub and she finished telling him how her turners would be more like a pensive than the older model. you couldn't go back for a do-over with these making them safer for the wizarding publics use.

He asked her about her childhood, places she'd visited, things she's experienced, careful to steer the conversations towards places rather than people. He told her about growing up in the wizarding world and how he was expected to act and how he'd been groomed to be a certain way from a young age. He told her about the side projects he had planned for the next coming years: how to incorporate muggle technology with out electricty, a preschool of sorts for muggle and magical children before Hogwarts, an etiquette school for muggleborn children to learn wizarding customs and how he was using the Malfoy seat on the board of governors to lobby that muggle studies be updated and manditory for all wizarding family born children. She wasn't sure she was sitting with the real Draco Malfoy this was something people expected out of her and Harry not the son of a condemed death eater.

"So basically, you've had a lobotomy." She said looking over her shoulder where his hands had found a place to rest when she had slumped back against him after the pain had subsided.

"I prefer to think I've seen the light." He chucked "pun intended."

"You certainly aren't the Draco I expected when I came over",she said summoning her wine glass wandlessly.

"You are far less skeptical than I expected." He admitted she finished her sip and he took the glass and placed it on the coffe table again.

"Do you think we could just stay like this a moment. I'm enjoying the easy silence." She mumbled, he noticed her starting to drift off.

"Anything you wish love." He let his voice drop as he softly drew circles into her shoulders again, dimming the lights with the flick of his wand. Once he was sure she was asleep he placed her carefully into his bed and went off to make use of a cold shower and the guest room for the night.

Draco woke slightly disoriented the next morning to multiple owls tapping at the window. He let them in and made sure to pay the Prophets owl and fed them all treats before sending them on their way. He was flipping through his correspondence when his floo came to life.

"Darling, may I come through?" A woman's voice came across the green fire loudly.

"Yes mother but do be quiet." Draco sighed he had put off speaking to the woman the day before to see how Hermione would react to everything.

"You found her darling if the paper is to be believed, where is the girl, unless you have other company?" She crooked and eye brow at him, the only time her son hushed her was when he had a woman in the other room.

"I have found her, she is wonderful anand he is handling this all just a little too well, I don't think it's fully real for her, you will not pressure her. She isn't likely to forgive us so easily. We watched your demented sister attempt carve her up." Draco told his mother sternly in harsh tones.

"I'm aware of what happened its but one of many nightmares I've had to deal with I can only imagine what she goes through. I'm certain she could use some help with those, a friend perhaps. Be her friend and you can build from there. " his mother encouraged.

"She hardly lacks in the friend zone mother. She is Hermione Granger for crying out loud." He scolded agin.

"Friends would be a nice start," a sleepy voice said from the hall. She had smoothed her clothes out and attempted to tame her hair by throwing it into a bun.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry my son and I woke you." Narcissa said politely to the young girl.

"It's alright Lady Malfoy, I hadn't intended to spend the night but your son was too much of a gentleman to wake me when I dozed off after dinner. I should be going though Draco." She said grabbing her beaded bag.

"Sorry," he told her sheepishly. "Perhaps we can get together again soon you had wanted to know about Uncle Severus."

"I'd like that. Send me an owl." She smiled at him. "Thank you for the distraction last night."

"Not a problem." He smirked.

" Hope to see you again soon Lady Malfoy. " stepping passed them and towards the floo not wanting to make a full walk of shame so to speak.

"Call me Cissa and I would be honoured to have you for tea later this week. I'll send an owl to resolve the details." Narcissa smiled.

"Look forward to it. " she replied before taking some powder and flooing home.

"She seems perfectly lovely," Narcissa said softly. "But that hair is most certainly Marlene's."

"I like her hair," he said softly. "It holds all her secrets. "


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: yay for all your reviews and for all of you who caught the mean girls reference at the end of the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one.

She sat quietly at her desk and let her eyes venture over the papers in front of her for a last time. She would visit Spinner's End tomorrow with Draco. He'd sent an owl earlier asking if she'd accompany him, as the property was now her's but still housed a few of his books and certainly the patents for a few of the potions he had worked on with Severus.

She held a small comb she had found in her mother's will. It would bring her to there any time she want all she had to do was say allowed the words, "take me home." aloud. She had picked up and put down the comb over twenty times that morning alone. In a minute of brash Gryffindor courage she held it and spoke the words so fast and clear she wasn't sure she had said them aloud at all until it pulled her through and she heard the squeak of a female house elf followed by the words.

"Mistress Hermione is home, pulls your magic." The house elf aided Hermione to her feet. " Welcome home Mistress Hermione, I is- am I am Topi head elf of McKinnon Manor."

"Hello Topi, this haircomb brought me, were your my mother's elf?"

"You's grandfather was my master." Topi began to wring her hands. "Your, your, your, Topi is a bad elf. Topi used bad grammar. Winky, hogwarts elf said Mistress wants elves to speak with proper English. We have practiced."

"It's fine Topi, everyone makes mistakes." Hermione chuckled at the worry of the elf.

"You won't give me socks, will you?" Topi looked more worried. Hermione sighed and just as she opened her mouth to explain that she now understood that house elves needed a witch or wizard to live or they lost their magic a messanger memo from St Mungo's arrived. She unclasped the seal and envelope came alive similar to a howler.

Dear Miss Prince,

After two years in the Janice Thickey Ward we have finally made head way with the case of Mr and Mrs Granger. It would seem the reason we could not remove your oblivate was because the muggles were in fact gollums and not human. We regret to inform you that the magic that had been keeping the gollums alive has been terminated by its source. Our deepest condolences,

Constance Moonshine

Head Healer for the mind maladies floor

St Mungo's

"Topi, were you and the elves keeping my mother's gollums alive?" She had a moment of clarity the elf had instructed the others to stop their magic when she arrived.

"Yes, Missy Marlene instructed us to care for little mistress through the gollums till she returned home. When yous obliviated them we couldn't repair Missy's magic. The healer witch couldn't either. Missy Marlene so powerful, just like Mistress Hermione." As the elf spoke three other elves appeared. "This is River, Grumble, and Whimsy. They be your other elves."

"Hello." They chorused.

"Hello there, have you been well without me ?" She asked.

"You without us, but we are never without you, our magic was bonded through gollums. We cared for you through them." Whimsy answered.

"We can show you around now Mistress?" River asked walking up and taking her hand. " We have cleaned all week in hopes that you would visit soon."

Hermione let the elf lead her from the entrance hall and towards a large stair case. The male house elf pointed out the drawing room and ballroom on either side of the hall before they ascended the stairs and into another hall way. The portraits then started to whisper it was always the same line. "She's home, tell her mother." River kept chattering about the function of each room not giving Hermione a chance to get a word in edgewise.

"This is the last room, this your mother's favourite room, she made Whimsy promise to put her portrait here if the bad wizards came for her. She knew Mistress would love this room too. She wanted to be close you when you here." River pushed the door open to reveal a library that while at first appeared moderately sized she soon realized expanded past what seemed to be a back wall using an undectable extension charm.

"My Hermione," the soft melodious voice from a dream hit her ears the moment she passed through the doors. She turned to her right and over the mantle above the fire was a magical portrait of a beautiful young woman no older than Harry's parents appeared in any photos he had of them.

"Mum," she whispered softly walking over to the photo. She held her hand to the canvas as if she could feel the woman through it.

"You've finally come home, has it really taken so long to vanquish that horrible man and his followers?" She asked pressing her painted hand against the canvas.

"He went away for 10 years in 1981, then came back in 1991. We ended him in 1998. It took them two years to find your will." Hermione answered matter of fact-ly she had so many things she wanted to ask but she didn't know where to start.

"You're beautiful my lovely girl, the elves say you are the brightest witch of your age. I wish I could have taken some credit for that but it is all you. There was so much I wished to have taught you myself. I'm sorry I failed you darling girl."

" You did teach me," Hermione said softly, finally realizing she hadn't lost her mother completely. She sat in an easy chair across from the fire place that River had started while she had examined her mother's portrait. "Those gollums, my parents, while not physically you were the closest thing you could give me to you. You gave them their values, intelligence, integrity, it was based on your own and how you would have raised me and loved me. You taught me all I know. But I know nothing of you. Please mother, tell me who you were."

And so the portrait of Marlene McKinnon recounted her early years as a pureblood child, from balls to play dates with Sirius Black, James Potter and Narcissa Malfoy. hrr Hogwarts years and how she and Lily had been friends with Neville's mother Alice and how Sirius was almost her father. She recounted the tales of her study to become the next arithmancy master at Hogwarts and how it had led her to discover her own fate and how she had accomplished the plans to hide Hermione in the muggle world. She had chosen dentists for Hermione's gollums as she knew they would bring in enough money from Lily's comment about how lucrative the teeth healer job was in the muggle world.

"What about my father, why didn't you tell him. Send me to him?" Hermione asked. The Snape she knew wasn't a kind man and not one she could have seen with children but clearly her mother had seen something in him to become intimately involved even if it had been solely to console a broken heart.

"I ran the numbers and there was just no way you would have both survived if I had." She said.

"Tell me about the Severus Snape you knew." Hermione asked pulling her knees to her chest. "He wasn't very kind to anyone when I knew him."

"Your father was not a kind man. He was intelligent, cunning, ambitious and loyal to those he thought as friends. But he was lonely dear, neither I nor he ever made our relationship more than it was, we weren't in love darling, we respected each other and needed companionship, Sirius left me without reason and Lily married James and still hadn't forgiven him. Neither of us wanted to feel alone, we enjoyed the same intelligent conversation and debated new spells and well Hermione we shagged, it carried on for a few weeks but he was getting more involved in the dark lords organization. That's all there was to your father and I. He was on search of love and I believe he settled for acceptance. Something they gave him, until they took the first thing he loved."

"Did you meant what you said. That you think I would have been that love for him." she asked.

"Yes, it didn't have to be romantic love. I don't think he romantically loved Lily anymore but she was his first friend and there is a special love between those kinds of people." Hermione nodded as her mother spoke the bond she shared with Harry and Ron was like that.

"You haven't been to see him yet have you daughter."

"No, I am going tomorrow with a friend. His godson. We have to clean out his home, he died in the final battle." Hermione said and her mother's face fell.

"I'm so sorry my Hermione, I had wished one of us would be there to see you into adulthood. Promise you will forgive his misgivings."

"What choice do I have? He is the only father I have, and he did many things to save me through the years. Not knowing I was his child." Hermione looked around the sun was setting through the window. " I should go mother, thank you."

"You'll come again?" The portrait asked, the same desire that any mother would.

"As often as I can. Look at all the books there are to read." She smiled to her mother.

"You truly are our child." Marlene smiled. Whimsy popped in as if on cue.

"May I take mistress to the floo room?" She asked.

Hermione nodded and the little elf popped them down.

"If you need anything you will call for me yes?" Whimsy said slowly as if she had practiced for many days.

"Yes of course." Hermione nodded noting the worry in the large eyes of her elf.

"We keyed your homes into all floo systems, you can come and go as you please no more need for a port key. I will leave you now. I must check on your mother's portrait." With a pop she was gone. Hermione grabbed some floo powder but instead of flooing home she put her head into the green flames and called a different address.

"Can I come through?" She asked cautiously, peering through to the sitting room.

"Of course," came a voice from the washroom. She took another handful and through it in and stepped through. She dusted off and ran right into the hard body of the flats owner.

"I thought we were going tomorrow." He said softly holding her up from crumbling on impact.

"I just needed to see you." She took in his body he was dressed only in a pair of muggle jogging pants fresh from a shower. She instinctively put her arms around him when she went to fall but had yet to pull away. "I went to my mother's home today and spent the afternoon with her portrait. I guess I felt lonely."

"So you came here? Not that I mind I just figured you go to Potter's or his sidekick." He pulled his head back and looked down at her as she shook her head.

"Here felt right, I need a distraction, you always provide a good one." He turned her around and lead her to the couch where they assumed the same easy position of cuddling and talking that had ended their evening before. The conversation about both of their days died down and he stroked her arm again as they watched the street lamps light.

"I enjoy our easy silence as much as our conversation ." He said into her hair.

"I always feel like I have to speak with everyone else. While conversation come easy with you, a lot more so than I ever expected, I don't feel like I have to fill the silence. It's welcoming." She let her head find the spot on his shoulder it had the day before.

"Everything is going to be alright." He said softly and kissed the top of her head as they enjoyed their quiet.


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: this is long overdue, while I have no real excuses other than I just wasn't happy with it and I felt I was cheating you with a subpar chapter, I , like Severus, must beg forgiveness. Hope you enjoy.

Hermione woke up once again in the large poster bed of Draco Malfoy's bedroom. This time however she wasn't alone pressed against her back was the blond in question. She started to panic had she made a mistake, no her clothing was intact and she didn't have that post sex ache.

"Stop over analyzing things," his voice carried sleepily over her shoulder. "I can feel you thinking so hard it woke me."

"Sorry. I had a slight gap in how we ended up like this. Thank you for the safe landing place." She said rolling to look at him.

"I would not have taken advantage of your emotional state, even if you had insisted. Friends first, it's what you said remember." He stroked her hair. "Though this wasn't such a horrible way to wake."

"Your bed is quite comfortable, I should get home. I'll shower and dress. If you floo over you can join me for breakfast in about 45 minutes." She said squirming out of his arms.

"Then to Spinner's End?" He asked releasing her from his grasp.

"Yes, the anticipation is killing my composure. If I can just get this last first over, maybe my life will go back to normal." She smiled.

"Life will never be normal, we were born into the same year as Potter." He laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"It can get less exciting then." She said before trying to tame her mess of hair into a plait. She had given up after two failed attempts of trying to untangle it. "I'll see you in a bit then."

"Yeah, three quarter hour. " he confirmed rolling off his side of the bed and walking her to the floo. "See you then."

She pecked his cheek and stepped through to her own flat. Shaking her head and wondering what had come over her, spooning with Draco , seeking comfort from Draco, thinking of Malfoy as Draco, worst of all kissing Draco. Her musing was interupted by a familiar voice calling her out of her reverie.

"Hermione where have you been?" The male before her asked, giving herself time to realize that it was Harry and Ron sitting on her couch.

"We were ready to send a search party. You didn't answer our owls yesterday or any floo calls," Ron complained.

"I was at McKinnon Manor, I spoke with my mother's protrait. I just came from Draco's we are going to Spinner's End today."

"Why the bloody hell were you over there so early?" Ron asked.

"Umm just you know confirming plans he is going to be here in a half hour. I need to get ready and eat still, either make yourselves useful or leave." She stated by the end a bit more confident.

"We'll go but perhaps a visit soon yeah?" Harry said pushing Ron towards the floo but giving Hermione a knowing glance.

"Yes, I'll owl you, lunch this week I'm sure we can swing it." She said as Harry all but pushed Ron through the floo.

"I don't know if this is a coping mechanism, but Sirius told me he is trying to get you out of the bethroal, you don't have to be with him." Harry state cautiously.

"He makes things easy, we aren't sleeping together Harry, but he doesn't ask asinine questions and he understands how weird the bethroal is. It's nice. I'm not being irresponsible just hiding for a bit." She reassured her best friend.

"Know that we are here." He told her with a quick hug he too joined Ron through the floo.

The floo roared again as she stepped out of her room plaiting her hair after her shower.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said brushing the soot from his sleeves.

"It's a good thing or you'd have caught me in the shower, I had guests when I got in." She explained as the timer on her stove dinged. She walked over and pulled out a breakfast quiche.

"Here? Who? How did they get in?" He sounded panicked for her.

"Yes here, my wards are keyed in to Harry and Ron," she laughed at his concerned tone.

"Ah they had started the search party had they?" She had set two places by this point at her breakfast nook and directed him to sit.

"Essentially yes. I may have fib and told Ron I had just popped over to chat with you but I'm sure Harry knew I'd been out all night."

"Has he given you the speech of how I'm not safe?" Draco asked between bites.

"No but he reassured me that they were there for me and I didn't have to just rely on you." She rolled her eyes and he chuckled.

"We'll have to aparate as Severus shut the floo connection before we left the last time." He told her. "I know it's not the most convenient but I will side aparate you."

"I suppose breakfast wasn't the best plan then." She cringed.

"It won't be so bad," he assured her and they finished their meal in silence. When they had cleaned up they headed down to the alley behind Hermione's building and apparated to Spinner's End.

Hermione shivered as they landed much more smoothly than she had expected.

"He lived here?" She asked surveying the gloomy neighbhood.

"Mmhmm, it's a wonder why. He could have moved the man owns the rights to well over half of the modified medical potions at Mungo's." Draco said leading her towards a row house not unlike number 12. "Though I suppose you do now, come on, here we are." Draco pulled a small dagger from his cloak and requested her hand she gave it to him and he pricked her finger causing her to screech.

"Really Hermione I know you had to give blood to both of those cauldrons not two days ago." He teased as he pressed her bleeding finger to the door.

"Yes well I knew what was happening then and I did it magically." She said as she nursed her finger. He pulled her hand back to his and sealed the wound with his wand.

"It wouldn't have worked. He charmed it so that someone could not magically force you to open the door. You had to willingly give your blood. Open the locks now a charm should do it. "

She said the incantation and the lock popped allowing Draco to open the door. "I would have but it was registered to your signature." She nodded he started to enter but she stood frozen outside the home. "Hermione, are you coming."

"I, umm, yeah." She stuttered, she had been comfortable entering the McKinnon estate, fear had gripped her at Spinner's End. Draco turned back and took her hand.

"Hey, it's alright, he wanted you. He wants to tell you that even if it's only through an oil canvas." Draco assured her. "Plus if you think my bookshelves are impressive you will never leave the library here. The rarest texts I've seen outside of my parents home. "

This caused her to crack a smile and her feet began to move again. She followed Draco through to the library. The house had clearly been put under a stasis charm as there was no dust in the home but it was eerily quiet, until they cracked the door to the large library. It was twice the size of the library at Grimmauld Place, and the texts ranged from the dark arts to transfiguration and charms. While his passion was the dark arts and his craft potions he had been very well read in all aspects of magic.

"Daughter, I see Mr Malfoy must have bribed you with the contents of my library to get you here." A voice shattered the silence. The oil painting hanging behind a large mahogany desk came alive as its subject spoke to the pair.

"He did boast of its rarities a little." She said making her way across the room to the protrait of the man who was, for all scientific purposes, her father.

"Well done godson, now what you are looking for is in my den third shelf beside the fire place. I'd like like to speak to her alone surely you understand," Draco nodded as Hermione sat in the large leather seat. " I must apologize child. I had hoped to be able to tell you all these things in person. Did I see you before I passed, I only hold the memories I infused myself with before I left, before September 1997."

"Yes, Harry, Ron and I were with you when you passed. You gave him a vial of memories and reached for my hand, but nothing you said nothing!" By the end she was near tears, things she had forgotten until that morning had rushed into her mind.

"I couldn't jepordize you Hermione, it was too close to the end. My last selfish act where you were concerned was to keep you in the dark incase Potter did not come back from the dark forest where Voldemort held camp. The Dark Lord would have killed you had he known who you truly were, the natural power you held. You are exceptional at any type of magic and would have been a large threat to him given your allegiance the Order." Oil painting was not warm and life like, unlike her mother's but did embody the professor she knew. The words however were those of a man who wanted nothing more than to save his child, the compassion she would expect from Arthur Weasley or Sirius of their children and surrogate children.

"Why not tell me as soon as you knew. How did you find out anyway?" She questioned he foot tapping as she looked at him.

"Hermione Lily, you will stop that infernal tapping or I shall refuse to answer your questions." Her foot stopped instantly. He had called her by her birth name. The name Marlene had given her. The one that paid homage to a friend both of her parents held dear. "Thank you, now I found out when you were in the infirmary following that ridiculous stunt your band of miscreants decided was an act of heroism in your fifth year. Madame Pomfery had me look you over as Dolohov had used a rare curse on you, one he had created, you were in need of a transfusion as opposed to just replenishing potions once we had reversed the damage, as it happened we shared a rare blood type, AB negative, I may or may not have take some of yours to study before the transfusion as it is thought to be a carrier of rare magical powers. I ran basic tests on your parentage for data and to appease my mind. You had always reminded me of both Lily and Marlene I had an unquenched thirst for the knowledge. When my name appeared beside Marlene's on the parchment after the spell, I knew she had hid you for safety. It took me all summer to wrestle my demons about going to you. The morning I chose to set out to London Narcissa and Bellatrix came to me to protect Draco. After that it was no longer safe for you to be my child even in my mind. It was a fact I buried deep in my memories in hopes that even under the most excruciating torture it would not come out. I beg of you to forgive a foolish man the need to protect his child, even one he had no hand in raising."

"You can't say you had no hand in raising me." She paused "you were my professor, your rigorous sometimes down right mean teaching methods were what shaped my drive. Surely as a man of science you've heard of nature vs. nurture. I believe there is some science to the nature part."

"Be that as it may, I was not the father I had hoped to be, I've also saddled you with the responsibility of marrying that prat who by this time is most likely eavesdropping in the hallway. Lucius and I have been through the contract a million times there are no outs in it, you can tell that mangy mutt to stay out of Prince affairs as well."

"How did you know Sirius was back let alone looking into it?" Hermione asked.

"This isn't my only portrait daughter, while it may not have been for a full year I was still a hogwarts headmaster and your friend Mr Potter ensured my painting was hung next to Dumbledore when school let in this year. Phineas Nigelus has a rather large penchant for boasting about this decendants as well as the fact he came to Minerva about it."

"He offered right after I found out about my parentage. I didn't think a fresh set of eyes would hurt, I'll let him know it's not necessary." She bowed her head slightly embarrassed.

"I'm not cross with you darling. I'm cross with myself and Black, he grew up in a noble house he knows better than to meddle. You are affianced to Draco as such he is the only one with the right to look into McKinnon and Prince affairs on your behalf, which I'm sure he will do should you ask." He said finally sitting in the chair in his portrait. "Now tell your father about the last three years since I closed this house up, from your point of view."

She smiled and began to recount her time from the wedding at the Burrow she had reached the point of being caught by snatchers when Draco joined them. He filled in the blanks on where and what the two men had been doing and when they went seperate ways at the appropriate spots. She vaguely described her projects at the department of mysteries to her father and as the sun began to set out the window once more she found herself saying goodbye to an oil paint version of one of her parents.

"I do hope you will visit again soon. Do not feel you must though," Severus spoke as Draco had bid ado to the pair saying he would wait for her outside.

"I'll be back father, if for nothing else the books and intelligent conversation." She assured him.

"I can't imagine the lack of it else where, what with the company you still keep." He drawled causing her to laugh.

"They truly aren't that horrible. Draco has been filling that void this week."

"Indeed. Daughter, you don't have to keep this house. Just promise should you sell it move my protrait to somewhere more populated, while I enjoy my solitude it does get boring and storage seems like such a waste." He requested.

"Perhaps you are also in need of intelligent conversation, I'll look into it for you."

"That would would be a welcome change." He smiled down at her a soft not overbearing smile, just the type you would expect from one such as Severus Snape. "Until next time Hermione. "

"Until then Father."


End file.
